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UH Delivering Green Stories During Earth Day Week

April 19, 2011-Houston-

Earth Day is April 22, but the University of Houston is celebrating the environment throughout the week. As you search for green stories this week, consider the following experts, events and items from UH.

UH RECEIVES ‘GREEN LIGHT' FROM CITY OF HOUSTON TO DELIVER SOLAR GENERATORSCity officials are tapping into the talents of University of Houston Green Building Components (UHGBC) for disaster relief solutions. Through a new partnership with the city, UHGBC will provide city parks, schools, fire stations and other locations with 17 of its Solar Powered Adaptive Containers for Everyone (SPACE). SPACE will be on view at Discovery Green during "Earth Day Houston 2011" April 23. For more details, visit this link or contact Mike Emery at 713-743-8186 or memery@central.uh.edu.

UH GREEN BUILDING COMPONENTSArchitecture professors Joe Meppelink and Andrew Vrana have developed several green gadgets for use in homes and businesses. These include GroPod, a modular raised bed gardening system that can be easily transported. They also have designed the PV-pod, a water-filled polyethylene vessel used for mounting solar panels. Both will showcase their work alongside the SPACE unit at Discovery Green during "Earth Day Houston 2011" on April 23. For more details, contact Mike Emery at 713-743-8186 or memery@central.uh.edu.

UH HOSTING EARTH DAY CARNIVAL APRIL 21UH's colors are red and white, but on April 21, the university will become a little greener. On this day, UH hosts its annual Earth Day carnival. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Butler Plaza (outside of UH's M.D. Anderson Library), faculty, staff and students will participate in green games (using recycled materials), visit information booths and enjoy complimentary items from Honest Tea, Vitamin Water and Monster beverages. For more details visit http://bit.ly/eUwnE7 or contact Lindsay Marshall at 843-842-4722 or lmmarshall@uh.edu.

UH ANNOUNCING SOLAR PARTNERSHIP WITH GREEN MOUNTAIN ENERGY APRIL 21During UH's Earth Day Carnival on April 21, Green Mountain Energy Co. representatives will present a check to the university that will fund its first solar array (connected solar panels). Green Mountain representatives also will announce the establishment of its Solar Internship Program at UH. The check presentation and announcements will begin at 11:30 a.m. For more details, view this release or contact Maria Honey at 832-842-9040 or mhoney@central.uh.edu.

MAKING OUR MARK ON THE MARSHESAmid the global competition for water, the planet's wetlands are in what seems to be a losing battle. What once were rich, abundant breeding grounds for plant and animal life are slowly disappearing as rivers and streams dry up and as humans develop the land. UH's Steven Pennings has spent years in the trenches of the wetlands on all three of America's coasts, and he's not afraid to get his hands dirty - or his feet wet. To find out more about the use and conservation of wetlands, contact Pennings at 713-743-2989 or spennings@uh.edu.

GROWING A GREENER BUSINESSUH marketing professor Betsy Gelb can address green effects on businesses. Does going green build brand loyalty? Are consumers more likely to support green companies? Also, how does someone gain buy-in from management when it comes to greening a company or organization. To interview Gelb, contact Jessica Navarro at 713-743-4348 or jnavarro@bauer.uh.edu.